No Destination In Mind
by mashimoshi
Summary: Carol and Daryl escape the prison together, confused and angry about what had happened with the Governor. Now, they must work together in order to survive, even with no destination in mind. (Caryl)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! Decided to write a different story, a multi chaptered one. The idea popped into my head a few weeks ago, and I just couldn't help but write it.**

 **Let's imagine that Carol had never actually killed those two people at the prison during that flu outbreak they had. Let's pretend that she and Daryl were the ones who made it out when the prison fell.**

 **There will be some romance in it, and by some I mean a lot, so I hope you don't mind. I already have a little outline written of where I want to go with this story, but I'll probably just end up playing it by ear. I'll also try to update as much as I can, but I don't know how well that will go, either.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this work of fan fiction. Please leave it a favorite, a follow, and a review if you like it and have the time. I'd really appreciate it. Reviews are what keep me going.**

 **-M**

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Chapter One:

Daryl collapsed onto the dirty ground, finally letting go of his crossbow and curling into a loose ball. He saw Carol fall on her knees beside him, clutching onto her knife like her life depended on it. In a way, it did. "You alright?" the tracker rasped, scanning her over to make sure she wasn't hurt, or worse … bit. A sigh escaped him when he found that she was unharmed.

"Gotta be," Carol replied breathlessly, locking gazes with her companion. He looked so exhausted, she realized, sadness creeping into her heart. "What about you? I saw one of those men land a harsh blow to your ribs…" Carefully, she leaned forward and lifted up his shirt, noticing how he flinched a little at her touch. She gasped when she saw heavy bruises mottling his entire abdomen, already turning a dark purple. "Dammit," she cursed, taking off the backpack she had thankfully managed to grab before she and Daryl escaped the prison. Fishing out a roll of bandages, she gave them to him, the frown never leaving her face. "Wrap them so they don't get worse. If we're lucky, we'll find some place that had the medicine you need."

With a curt nod, Daryl sat up and carefully began to bandage his ribs, wincing every once in a while. He had barely even noticed the pain while they were running, the adrenaline blocking the feeling out. In truth, he had absolutely no idea how he had managed to get so far without his body giving out on him completely.

"Come on," the woman said when she saw he was done, pushing herself to her feet and offering him her hand. "We should find some kind of shelter of some kind. Let's just hope luck is on our side today."

"Doubt it," Daryl muttered, accepting Carol's gesture of support. He grunted as he stood, his arm snaking around his waist. "There ain't no luck, anymore, Carol. If there is, it sure hasn't been nice to us." Just as he said it, a boom of thunder sounded, startling them both. The man just looked back at Carol and raised his eyebrows. "See? Let's get goin'."

They walked for hours, thankfully managing to find a small cabin to stay in right before the rain hit. In it, they discovered some extra, non spoiling food, water, a shotgun with a box of ammo with it, and a couple of pairs of clothing that fit them. It was a little, but it was something, and that was what counted.

"You go on and get some shuteye," Daryl said, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "I'm gonna keep watch for the night." Without another word, he stepped out onto the porch, sliding against the fence and placing his weapon right next to him, so that it would be easy to reach. He slowly let his head fall into his hand, his body remaining just as tense as it was.

Carol watched Daryl with a sad sigh, wishing that there was more she could do to help him. She had taken whatever she could before they were forced to flee, and even though it wasn't enough to last them for a long time, it would hopefully help them survive at least for another few weeks. But supplies weren't going to fix a broken soul, and that was exactly what Daryl was in that moment. He was broken, all the hardships and pain he had to suffer in the years of the apocalypse finally making themselves known to him. Just by looking at him, Carol could see how this was eating away at him, making him feel like this was his fault, when in reality it wasn't. It was nobody's fault. It was just how life was.

Knowing that he needed some kind of assurance right now, Carol joined him on the porch, making sure to sit on the opposite side of his crossbow. "Hey," she said softly, taking his hand and squeezing gently. Once receiving a small grunt in return, she continued, "We're going to be okay. You know that, right?" She smiled, reaching to run her fingers through his hair. They traveled down to squeeze his shoulder blade when he jumped at a loud boom in the sky and the flash of lightning that followed a few seconds later. "You do know that, right?"

The man didn't reply, just continued to stare at the wooden floorboards beneath him. He let his eyes fall closed then, bringing his knees up to his chest. There was a pained expression on his face, and it was clear that this was much harder for him than he would ever tell her. He seemed to be reliving the memory of what had happened only a few hours ago.

"Alright, Daryl," Carol breathed out, leaning in to kiss his temple gently. "I'll leave you alone. But just know that you can talk to me if you want. I'm here for you, just like you were there for me since the very beginning. Please, just don't pull away from me, because that's not going to make anything better. We both need each other, now more than ever." She choked on her voice then, the time trying to stay strong for Daryl taking a toll on her. She, too, could barely believe what had happened, and was really having a hard time coming to terms with it.

Silence surrounded them for a few minutes, but it was short lived. Suddenly, the tracker leaned in and placed his head in the crook of her neck, shaking slightly. Carol instantly wrapped her arms around him, stroking his hair lovingly to provide him with some comfort. "Hey, everything's going to be alright, you hear me? Everything's gonna be just fine."

Shaking his head, Daryl sighed and said, "No, Carol, it ain't. And it won't be, either." He separated from her, going back to the position he was in before. "Get some sleep. I'll stay here for the night." Not saying anything else, he turned away, pulling his crossbow into his lap. "Please, just go rest. Ya need it."

"You need it, too, you know?" Carol countered softly, trying to give him a small smile. Giving him one last glance, she stood up and walked back inside, unable to resist plopping down on the rather comfortable couch. "Goodnight, Daryl," she muttered, quietly enough so that the man couldn't hear her.

She just couldn't seem to fall asleep, though, her mind constantly bringing her back to Daryl. He had done so much for her and the group, wanting absolutely nothing in return. In reality, he deserved so much more than what life was giving him. He was a good man, one of the kindest, most loyal people that she's ever met. And to think that this was how the world was treating him … It made her heart ache just thinking about it. Silently, she promised herself that she would make sure that Daryl would keep going, even if he didn't want to anymore. Secretly, she made it her responsibility to help him in his time of need, which she knew would be really soon.

~TWD~

As Daryl forced himself to stay awake throughout this cold, rainy night, memories of what had happened at the prison haunted him. He kept seeing Hershel and the Governor, the man who jumped him and began to beat him — if it hadn't been for Carol, he probably wouldn't have made it out — and _literally_ everything else. He remembered the feeling of shock that practically attacked him when everything went to hell and those people started attacking them. He could still feel this horrible pain in his heart from before, when the realization finally hit him.

He knew that he was the one to blame for all of this. If he hadn't stopped looking for the Governor, then maybe they could have avoided losing the prison, and maybe they would still be living comfortable lives, shielded from the apocalypse. He cursed at himself quietly, trying to fight off the tears that wanted to fall down his face. _You screwed everythin' up,_ he thought to himself. _You made this happen. This is your fuckin' fault._

Slowly, though, he managed to stray away from the subject of the fallen prison, his mind leading him towards thoughts of Carol.

Carol. Sweet Carol. The one who had been with him since the very beginning. The one who suffered so much, just like him. She always claimed that he was a good person, but in his eyes, it wasn't true. He was nothing but a piece of redneck trash, someone who didn't deserve the likes of Carol. This woman stuck with him, and had shown him a love that nobody else had. She was the light to his darkness, the one who always tried to make things seem a lot better than they were.

But she was just as torn up about this as him. Only, she forced herself to stay strong … for him. Usually, he would think it should be the opposite, but at this point, he just couldn't find the strength inside him. He really was broken, wasn't he?

Soon enough, the rain started to get worse, and he was soaked within an hour or so of sitting there. Sleep tried to take him, but he fought it, too afraid of the nightmares that he was sure would plague him if he slept. That was why, he forced himself to just sit there and keep watch, needing something to do that didn't involve any shut-eye.

He only hoped that maybe, just maybe, all of this would work out soon. They would find the others, they would find a new place to call home, and they would all survive, together.

One could only hope, right?

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm actually kinda happy with this chapter. I hope you like it, too. Thank you guys for the great feedback so far. I really do appreciate it.**

 **Please make sure to leave a favorite, a follow, and/or a review if you have the time. They are what keep me going.**

 **-M**

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Chapter Two:

"Carol, get up!"

His tired, raspy voice startled her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Daryl standing in front of her, a worried expression on his face. "What's going on?" she mumbled, wanting to sleep for a just a bit longer. She almost shrieked when her companion pulled her to her feet and threw a bag into her arms.

"Walkers," the man replied, reaching for the blanket Carol had been sleeping with — he didn't even know where she had found it — and shoving it into his own bag, the one he found in the cabin's secret closet, along with some more food, when he realized that they needed to get out of there as soon as they could. "A whole herd of them. They're already gettin' closer. We need ya get the hell out if we don't wanna be their breakfast." He grabbed Carol's hand, leading her towards the front entrance and urging her to run in front of him. It was still raining, although a little less, but it would probably get stronger later on. "Just keep goin' and don't look back. We need ta outrun them and then find a new place to hole up in."

The woman didn't protest as they walked and walked for what seemed like an eternity. She understood how important it was for Daryl to keep her safe, and wanted to prove it to him, therefore not saying a word about it. Still, her legs began to ache after a while, and she couldn't help but stop when they reached small river. "Let's take a break for a bit," she said softly, knowing that Daryl was probably exhausted, too. "We need to fill up the water bottles, anyway."

Daryl just turned around and stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes glossed over. With a small nod, he walked over to the body of water, kneeling down and slinging his bag off his shoulder. He began dumping the three empty bottles into the river, waiting for the cool liquid to flow inside. He could barely even believe how hard he had missed the feeling of water against his skin. Once done, he stood up and waited while Carol filled up her own bottle, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. There was no way that he going to put that woman at risk. Not now … Not ever.

"Ready to go?"

Her soft voice brought him back to reality, and when looking up, he saw that her face was slightly damp. After quickly walking over to wet his own face, he pushed himself up to his feet and nodded once more, deciding not to say anything. He just signaled her to follow him, and then they were off again, each person lost in their own thoughts.

Carol kept thinking about Daryl, and how he was slowly becoming more and more distant, almost afraid to even talk to her. In a way, she understood it: He was dealing with a lot of guilt that he just didn't know how to handle. But she also thought that it was wrong of him to do this to her, to push her away when she was ready to be there for him. It hurt her to see him like this, so broken and fragile. She was suddenly forced out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard a click and a soft gasp.

"Shit," Daryl whispered, turning around, his icy blue orbs widening by the second. "Carol, run!" He watched as she quickly obeyed, knowing that she was confused as to why she was doing it. In a few moments, she would find out why. In the meantime, he had to get as far away from the abandoned mine as he possibly could.

The explosion sent him flying onto the ground, and all Daryl could feel after that was numbness, starting at his collar bone and making its way down his hand. Pretty soon, that numbness turned into a dull ache, and when the world finally made itself known to him again, it became an agony that he would never forget. He cried out in pain, curling into a tight ball, afraid to even touch his skin to see what the damage was. He could hear Carol calling his name and rushing over to him once she found him. Tears were in her eyes, streaming down her face, as she began to cradle him in her arms.

"Oh, my God, Daryl!" she sobbed, stroking his hair gently, pushing it out of the way so she could see his eyes. They were full of fear. She could feel him trembling against her, small sounds of discomfort coming out of his mouth. Right then, thunder burst, and rain began to fall right after, which, in a way, was good for Daryl, since it cooled down the fresh new burn that covered his entire left arm. "I have to get you somewhere warm. Do you think you can stand?"

Somehow, Daryl managed to grunt a weak 'yes', and was on his feet without even realizing it. Everything around him was spinning, nothing in his mind was clear. He almost fell back down again if it wasn't for Carol holding his sorry ass up. "There's a-a cave … up a-ahead," he told her, voice shaking with the effort of saying something so simple as that. "We c-can hole up … t-t-there for the n-night…." His voice trailed off then and he moaned, throwing his head back to try and fight off the pain in his arm. All he wanted to do right then was sleep, and maybe never have to wake up again.

"Alright," Carol replied. "Lead the way." She whisked that they were still near the river. Then, she would have just let him cool off there for a while. Cold water always did wonders for burns, and currently, that was something that Daryl really needed. She already knew that they didn't have enough medicine to help the wound heal completely. So that means that he would be forced to survive through heavy fevers, possible hallucinations and delusions, and a pain that he never felt before. On top of all that, depending on how his body would mend, he might have a permanent scar on his body, an addition to his already rather large collection, reminding him of what he would call his failure.

When they finally made it to the cave that Daryl had seen, Carol was quick to take out one of their blankets and place it on the ground before helping Daryl lie down. Taking a quick look around, she saw that this had once been someone else's camp, with the burnt out logs sitting in the middle of the space and the two, slightly dirty blankets lying in a crumpled heap in one of the corners. They had gotten lucky; this meant that they had a greater chance of staying warm if they were to stay here for more than just a day. With Daryl's injury, it was pretty clear that they would be staying for a long time.

"Hey," Carol murmured gently once covering him with one more tarp, leaving his wound exposed so that nothing would touch it. "You gotta keep drinking more water, Daryl, stay as hydrated as you can. We have some medicine in our bag, but it won't last. At one point or another, we're gonna have to find a house or something to stay in, and then I'm gonna go scavenge for more. For now, you have to stay with me, okay? Just hold on, alright?"

"'M sorry," the hunter breathed out suddenly, unable to meet her gaze. "I-I was stupid … Should've s-s-seen it. 'M sorry." He gasped then, scrunching his eyes shut. His body was on fire, every nerve inside him burning.

"No, Daryl, this isn't your fault. It could've happened to me, too. If you hadn't told me to run when you did, I would've probably been caught in the blast. Thanks to you, I'm okay, and now I'm gonna make sure that you get better." Carol smiled slightly, cupping his cheek and brushing her fingers over his stubbly skin. "Now, sleep. I'll be right here to wake you up when you need water and the meds." She paused then, looking at him lovingly. "I promise, nothing will happen to you. Everything will be just fine."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**This isn't really my favorite chapter, but it's something. I did include a few lines from the episode "Still". Let's see who finds it and remembers it. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TWD :(**

 **Anyway, I'd also like to thank you guys for the wonderful feedback. It means a lot. Try to keep it going XD**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **-M**

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Chapter Three:

While Daryl slept, Carol made her way to the river to fill up the water bottles again, not caring about the rain that was slowly becoming stronger and stronger. Worried about possibly running into that herd of walkers on the way there, she decided to take a different route, where she found a burned down house. In it were two buckets, even more blankets, a box full of granola bars, stuffed away in a little closet, and a container packed with tea bags. She couldn't believe their luck.

Making sure to take everything there was, the woman got to the river and got all the water she needed, filling up a bucket as well. When she returned back to their camp, she sighed. Daryl seemed to have gotten worse. She had bandaged his entire arm up as much as she could, even using the sleeves of one of his warmer shirts to finish it up. Clearly, a fever had already claimed him. He was drenched in sweat, his body trembling violently as he tried to fight it off. Unfortunately for him, he was failing.

Carol fell to her knees beside him, taking a handkerchief out of her back pocket and dumping it into the bucket. She then pressed the wet cloth against Daryl's forehead, hoping to cool him down. "Hey, Daryl," she said quietly right as he began to stir. "It's me. I'm just trying to cool you down, okay?"

"Hmm," the tracker groaned, curling into himself. He could hear thunder from outside his cave, and for once in his life, he was glad that he was inside rather than outside. His head was pounding, the throbbing slowly becoming unbearable. He only wished that he could just sleep without the pain waking him up every few minutes. God, he was so tired. Exhaustion really was a bitch. "What … time's it…?" he asked weakly, feeling something against his lips. He almost moaned when the cool, familiar liquid began to make its way down his throat, and almost growled when it was taken away.

"You don't wanna drink too much," Carol explained, putting the bottle aside for later. "It's almost nighttime. I'm gonna have to cover the entrance up soon, so that the walkers won't get to us. In the meantime, you just keep on sleeping. Don't worry about anything." Standing back up, she began making a fire, and then took to figuring out a way to block off the mouth of the cave. In the end, she managed to hook three blankets up, and it was just enough to make the two of them invisible to anyone else. She was kind of proud of herself, but she just couldn't dwell on it for too long. Returning back to her companion, she slid against the wall next to him, beginning to watch him. Slowly, she began to cry again, since when she first started, she had to force herself to stop almost instantly. Now, when all the work was done, and she finally had the time to wrap her mind around all this, she couldn't help but let the tears fall.

"Stop worryin'," Daryl said suddenly, his voice wavering slightly. "I'm g-gonna be … fine."

"I know," Carol said, not meaning any of it. She didn't if he would be okay or not. She didn't know if he would make it. She didn't know anything. And that was what worried her. Daryl was someone who she depended on, and not just for safety or protection, either. He was the reason she really got up in the morning. He was someone that she just couldn't live without. But now that he was like this, hurt and afraid, she couldn't help but think of living without him, which was what made her cry more and more.

"You're lyin'," the man muttered, slowly turning himself around so he could look at her. It hurt like hell to do it, but it was totally worth it. He smirked gently, trying to provide her with some kind of assurance, just like she had been doing before. "I know … ya are. D-Don't bother. Like you said, everythin's … gonna b-be fine. Y-You gotta start … listenin' t-to what y-your own a-advice."

At that, Carol laughed, unable to help it. She crawled towards him then, beginning to stroke his hair. "I really should, shouldn't I?" she joked, taking a deep breath to try and steady herself. Just looking at Daryl made her want to break down, but as much as she wanted to, she told herself to just stay strong. For both their sakes, she would stay strong, even when she wouldn't be able to.

"Y-Yes ma'am…," Daryl whispered, letting his eyes fall closed. He barely even realized that he had fallen asleep again until he was claimed by a familiar darkness that he now seemed to welcome. It felt too good to just let go.

~TWD~

Days passed, and Daryl seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Carol tried to treat it as best she could, getting water from the river and giving him as much medicine as she could spare. Any time her companion became overheated, she would wet her handkerchief and press it against his skin, hoping to provide him with some comfort. Any time he would be shivering with cold, she would bundle him up so that he would warm up again. Still, nothing seemed to be working.

Nightmares plagued him almost every night, not letting him rest properly. He would wake up every few hours, too tired to fight off Carol, who was always there to calm him down. Mostly, the dreams were about him losing everyone he loved, their deaths brutal. The fever was making it worse, and he only wished that it would just go away so he could have a break from those horrifying images. They constantly left him disoriented, confused about where he was and what was real. He hated that feeling, but was forced to live with it, all because he was stupid enough to walk into a trap that had a goddamn bomb attached to it. He blamed himself for getting the two of them into this mess almost every day.

The worst nightmare hit on the seventh day. It was about the prison, how the Governor had taken Carol and Michonne hostage instead of Hershel, and he had to witness him decapitating the poor woman. That was when he woke up, a single tear falling down his face. When he found Carol, he threw himself into her arms, not caring about his wounds anymore. He felt her hug him, whispering into his ear, telling him that everything was alright. "I'm right here, Daryl," she assured him, kissing the top of his head and squeezing him a little tighter. "I'm right here. Nothing happened to me. I promise you, I'm alright."

"I t-thought I … lost ya, Carol," the tracker mumbled, closing his eyes as his mind forced him to relive the memory. "I thought … I-I thought ya … were g-gone."

"No, Daryl, I'm right here," the woman replied. "I'm not gone, I'm right next to you. And I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah, r-right," Daryl managed to breath out. "It's only a-a matter of … time b-before I lose y-ya, too…"

"Don't you say that!" Carol exclaimed suddenly. "You're not gonna lose me, Daryl! I am gonna stay with you for as long as I can. Stop thinking like this, please. I'm not ready to leave you yet. I never will be. I promise to always be with you."

"Yeah, and I t-though the s-same … was gonna happen w-with the others," Daryl responded, attempting to raise his voice, but failing. He could feel his eyes filling with tears, the thoughts he had bottled up for so long finally surfacing.

"Daryl, just stop."

"No! The Governor r-rolled right up … to our g-gates. Maybe if I wouldn't have stopped looking. Maybe 'cause I gave up. That's on me."

"Daryl…."

"N-No. And Hershel … Maybe — maybe I could have done something." He hung his head then, beginning to cry silently. Feeling Carol embracing him again, he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, breathing in her scent, wanting to just be near her.

They sat like that for the rest of the night … Or until Daryl fell asleep again, too tired to fight any more. Carol could only stare at him as he slept, their previous conversation playing on repeat. She only hoped that, somehow, she would be able to bring the old Daryl back. She only hoped that she would be able to find a way to make him whole again.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I am SOOOOO excited for this chapter. I'm actually very happy with it.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy! Please make sure to leave a favorite, a follow, and a review, if you have the time. They are what keep me going. Last chapter wasn't as good as usual, but I'm hoping that this one will be much better :)**

 **-M**

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Chapter Four:

"We're running out of medicine," Carol said one day while looking through their bags of supplies. A frown was on her face, hinting that they were not doing too well with provisions. "Only one bottle of ibuprofen, and it's only half full. We need to get out of here, maybe find a house with more stuff for us, one where he can take shelter in for a few weeks. What do you think?"

"If that's what you think we should do, then let's go," Daryl replied as he wrapped his burn with their last roll of bandages. A week had passed since that nightmare of his, and he seemed to be going on the mend. But if he didn't have any of the meds he had been taking, he wouldn't have made it. And now that they barely had any left, he knew that they needed to find a place that had some. "I'll try ta move for as long as I, but I can't promise ya much. Let me help ya in the time being."

"Don't worry about that," the greying woman assured him, beginning to pack everything up. "I'll get all our things together, and then we'll go. You just get yourself ready. We'll walk as much as we can, and when you decide you need a break, just tell me, all right?"

Daryl nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "You got it."

Within an hour or so, they were ready. Once making sure that they were all good to go, they left their little cave, heading south and using the tracker's instinct to lead them. They walked for hours, only stopping to take small water breaks. Daryl kept insisting that he was just fine, even though he was growing far more exhausted than he really wanted to be. Still, he tried not to show it, hoping that his companion didn't see the pain he was actually in. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept thinking that they wouldn't find a safe place to stay in. He kept thinking that all their efforts to survive were going to be completely pointless.

"You sure you're alright, Daryl?" Carol asked suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts. Placing a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder, observing him with that soft gaze of hers. She smiled a little, hoping that he would tell her the truth.

"'M fine," the man said simply, purposely lying so that they wouldn't have to stop. He just wanted to get out of the forest as quickly as possible, if he were being honest. "Let's just keep goin'."

Thankfully, Carol decided to press, and the rest of their journey was continued in silence.

Another hour or so passed, and the hunter really was growing tired. He was almost about to give up and signal Carol to stop when he saw a small clearing, and what looked like a house of some sort. "C'mon," he muttered," stepping past the woman and speed-walking towards his discovery. He almost laughed with joy when it turned out to be an abandoned town. Houses were lined up in rows, and they looked to be in good condition. Most of them had solar panels on their roofs, meaning that they might have electricity. Daryl could even hear a stream of some sort nearby, and he almost shivered at the thought of being able to shower again.

Without thinking, he let his backpack slide off his good shoulder, eyes wide with relief. Turning to Carol, he couldn't help but grin, feeling lighter than he had in a very long time.

"Do you see this, Daryl?" Carol managed to ask, running a hand through her hair.

"Uh-huh," he murmured, locking gazes with her.

The two of them stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity, unconsciously leaning closer and closer … Until their lips met. Carol almost gasped as his mouth captured her own, and she sunk against him, having dreamt about this very moment since the day everything went to hell, since their safe haven was completely destroyed. She had developed feelings for him a long time before that, back when they first found the prison. Unfortunately, she had been too afraid to act on those feelings, and as a result never let the hunter know that she cared for him, that she really loved him. And then the Governor ruined it by declaring war on her family, bringing them all a lot of suffering. After they had been forced to run, she had been sure that Daryl would never be the same again. But now that he was here, kissing her, she felt like all that had happened to them was worth it.

Their kiss lasted for a minute, and it was Daryl that pulled away when it began to become more passionate, a pained, confused expression on his handsome face. "Let's make sure there ain't any walkers first, then scavenge for a bit and pick a house," he said softly, pressing a small kiss to her forehead tenderly. This was such a new feeling for him, but now that he was able to act on it, he wanted to take any chance he had to show Carol that he loved her. Maybe he wouldn't say it yet, but he would at some point, and in the meantime, he would prove it to her in other ways. "Then we'll figure out everythin' else."

"Okay," Carol breathed out, already missing his lips. She followed him as they began to make sure that this town was safe. By the time they finished clearing each and every house, as well as taking anything they could fit into their backpacks, it was getting close to midnight, and they were exhausted. There had been plenty of walkers, and they definitely weren't as tired as them. It left the two of them even more filthy, and even more weary than they had been when they first started.

"Which house do ya want?" Daryl asked her as they made their way out of the twelfth and last house they needed to check. Stopping in the middle of this town, he began to look around, body trembling slightly with fatigue. "Your pick."

As Carol looked, her eyes fell on a rather small house with a high, white picket fence. With a little more tweaking, it was perfect to keep walkers away. She could see solar panels up top, for which she was grateful, as well as a chimney. This one was going to be perfect. Pointing to it, she smiled and said, "That one seems safe enough." After receiving a curt nod from Daryl, she walked inside, grinning at what she saw.

Everything was still intact. She hadn't really realized it when she was checking all the other houses because they were in such a rush, but now that she took a good look, she was happy to see that everything was still there. Couches, pillows, T.V.'s, even. In an open cabinet beneath the T.V., she could see movies on the small shelves, as well as a player. _Maybe, if we get the electricity going, we could watch something. Like normal people,_ she thought to herself.

"What do ya think?"

His question made her smile even more, and when she faced him, she could see just a small hint of happiness on his face, too. "It's perfect," she said, coming closer so she could place her hands on his chest. Her eyes raked him over with a lust she never knew she could feel, but now that she was, she couldn't seem to stop wanting him.

She felt him kiss her again, and it was the best thing in the entire, screwed up, world. Unlike Ed, Daryl was gentle, so unbelievably gentle. It was like he was afraid of hurting her, which was something she knew he would never do. This man was amazing, she concluded. And now, he could be hers.

Slowly, the kiss deepened, their tongues dancing together as they began making their way upstairs and finding the master bedroom. Once taking a quick scan, they were happy to know that, aside from some dust, it was completely clean.

Daryl quickly sat down on the soft bed, pulling Carol onto his lap. He captured her mouth again, wrapping his arms around her. At this point he didn't care about his woun. Feeling her fingers sliding up his leg and to his shirt, he knew what she was about to do, and he suddenly tensed, breaking their kiss again. He hung his head then, closing his eyes as shame began to creep into his heart. This was something he _did_ care about.

"Hey," his companion said gently, cupping his face. "I know about the scars, Daryl," she assured him. "I have them, too, and they're nothing to be ashamed of." Quickly, Carol took off her shirt to show him her own scars, the ones on her chest and waist. They definitely weren't as bad as his, but all Carol wanted to show him was that it was okay to have them. "See? I don't care about them, Daryl. I care about you. This was you then, and this is you now. That's two different people. Please, don't be ashamed of them. They're beautiful, I promise."

The poor man gasped quietly, finally looking up at her. Never had his scars been called beautiful. Anytime another woman saw them, she would gasp, and then start feeling sorry for him, which was something that he never wanted. But Carol was different. She understood. And that was what he needed. "Thank ya," he managed to whisper, kissing her again. He pushed her onto the bed, straddling her, planting kisses up and down her neck.

"Thank ya so much, Carol."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter! Yayy! I hope you enjoy. Please make sure to leave a favorite, follow, and a review if you have the time :)**

 **-M**

* * *

Chapter 5:

Carol woke up in Daryl's arms, his burned limb hanging off of her waist. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, and it brought shivers up her spine as she focused on it more. God, she loved this feeling. She loved being near him. And she hadn't realized how much she loved until now.

Their first night together had been amazing. Magical, even. They finally allowed themselves to forget about everything going on in the real world, and had the chance to focus on each other. A couple of times, Carol could tell that it was too much for him, and always asked if she was pushing him. But Daryl kept saying he was fine, continuing to kiss her and explore her body. Soon enough, the woman didn't have enough willpower to pull away from him so he could have a small break. She wanted him too much to be able to do it.

Now, as she was lying beside him, his protective arms wrapped around her waist, his chin on her head, Carol felt like someone in love, someone normal, someone not living in a zombie apocalypse that forced her to forget about pretty much everything except for survival. This feeling was something that she never wanted to forget.

Slowly, she twisted around to face Daryl, a wide smile on her face. She cupped her companion's cheek gently, stroking some of the hair out of his closed eyes. "Good morning," she whispered, kissing him. He looked tired, she realized sadly. He was a little paler than usual, and that worried her. Had she really pushed him to his limit? Is he getting sick because of her? What if his burn isn't going to heal properly now?

"Quit starin', would ya?" Daryl muttered, smirking slightly as he squeezed her a little bit tighter. "I know what you're thinkin', and I'm fine. Okay?"

Carol couldn't help but laugh at that, burying her head in his chest. How is it that he knew exactly what she was thinking, when she was thinking it? "Okay, Daryl, you win," she agreed. "I'll stop worrying."

"Thank ya," the tracker replied with a hint of sass in his voice. He began to sit up, sliding against the bed frame and pulling Carol along with him. "I think I'm gonna start checkin' out the solar panels up top. I know we just got here, but I'd like to have electricity and, maybe, a hot shower as soon as possible. What 'bout you?"

"I'd like that, too. But what about your burn? You shouldn't be doing a lot of work until in completely heals."

"Like I said, I'll be okay. The meds we found will help, and I'll make sure not to push it. I'll be fine." Daryl leaned in then, capturing her mouth and kissing her, feeling Carol's fingers massaging his scalp. If he was being honest, he never wanted to let of her again. But, there was work to be done. Once separating, he brushed her cheek with a calloused finger and said, "While I do that, how 'bout you go through the stuff we got yesterday, see what we have, maybe organize it a little. It'll help us a ton." Another smile graced his lips when Carol nodded. "Let's get ta work then, shall we?"

Against his mind's protests, he climbed out of bed, beginning to dress. He found difficulty putting his shirt on thanks to the burn, but was more than grateful when Carol stood up and helped him, her gentle touch bringing shivers up his spine. "Let me just wrap your your arm again," she offered, reaching to take her own clothes. "And you should take some of the Ibuprofen that we found, alright?"

With a nod, the hunter began making his way downstairs, where their bags were laying on the comfortable-looking couch. He searched for the pills and some water, taking the heavenly medicine once finding it. The one thing he hated about the meds was the fact that it made him so drowsy. He worried that it would interfere with what had he had to do today, which was work on the roof and try to get the solar panels fixed. Drowsiness was not something that he wanted to have while up there. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he began to think.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin'," he replied to Carol's question. Pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, he grinned. "Just thinkin' of how I'm gonna get this done."

"You'll get it done just fine," the woman assured, her fingertips rubbing against his bulging bicep. "Just, please, make sure not to do too much. You're still injured, and until you're not, you can't do anything that will make it worse." The thought of last night suddenly hit her again, and she frowned. "We shouldn't have done what we did last night," she said quietly. "I pushed you—"

"Carol, I'm fine," Daryl interrupted, pulling her into a hug. "Ya didn't do nothin'. I promise ya. Now, I gotta get to work, and you havta start organizin'. Just tell me if you're gonna go out to the other houses. I might go with you." When seeing her suspicious expression, he added, "Just think of it as my break."

Letting out a heavy breath, Carol nodded. "Okay, Daryl. You know, this is twice now that you've won me over?"

~TWD~

By the end of the day, Daryl had made some progress on the panels, but they still weren't ready. It would take another few days, and a little bit of scavenging for parts, for them to be completely fixed. Carol, on the other hand, was much more successful in organizing and searching for provisions.

They now had so much more medicine, two huge containers of canned food, another huge container filled with dry foods, a smaller container of water bottles, extra clothing, a katana, a sniper rifle and two pistols, each with extra ammo, blankets and pillows, books, candles, and a case filled with tools.

It didn't seem real; that one day they were running with absolutely nothing left, no home, no food, no anything, and now, they were living like kings compared to how the others were. That's the part that was most hurtful, to Daryl especially.

When he saw the katana, Carol could see the way his eyes darkened, and she immediately could tell that he was thinking of Michonne. She had been someone that he really related to, since they were both the quiet ones, and at first, nobody trusted them. Daryl clearly missed her, and his companion only wish there was something she could do to ease this guilt that was eating away at his soul.

"Hey, don't think about it," she quickly said, placing her hands on his chest and kissing his cheek gently. "Don't go there."

Thankfully, Daryl quickly got out of this trance he was suddenly in, his eyes returning back to normal, but the sadness still there. "So this is what you found?" he asked, referring to all the stuff she had organized into piles on the huge kitchen island.

"Yeah," she replied, still not letting go of him. "I'll put all the clothing in the closet upstairs, so we can see what fits later. Tomorrow, I'll probably dust the whole place. What about you? What's with the panels?"

"They'll be done in the next few days," Daryl explained. "I have to go look for some extra parts on the other houses, see if they have what I need. Let's hope they do." His eyes fell on the windows then, almost cursing for forgetting such an important job. "We need ta block off all the windows. Make sure the walkers don't see the candles. And when we do finally get the lights workin', we're gonna havta turn 'em off at night. We can't have those bastards tryin' to get in."

"There's some wood on the porch," Carol said. "I gathered as much as I could earlier."

"Good girl," the man murmured, getting to work straight away.

Within an hour, all the doors and windows were boarded, and by that time, both survivors were much more exhausted they they thought they would be. Once making it to their room, Daryl almost collapsed on the bed, not caring about taking off his clothing.

Carol had luckily brought a bottle of pills with her, along with some water, handing it to him and watching him as he gulped it all down. After making sure that he had done it, she joined him on the soft mattress, letting him curl into her side.

"What are we?" she heard him ask, the sudden question startling her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are we? We just slept together last night, and now we're on the same bed again. I wanna know what we are now."

Silence surrounded them as Carol thought of an answer to his valid question. Finally, she broke it. "I don't know what we are, Daryl. I guess we could be called a couple, but I won't force it on you. But what I do know is that we both want to be a part of this. Yes, this is new, but I'm starting to think that new is good. So, for now, let's not be anything. Let's just be Daryl and Carol. Okay?"

Daryl looked up at her then, unable to resist kissing her. "Okay," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her slim form. "That sounds good."

TBC


End file.
